ector of ShopScience, sent a couple of articles my way that got me thinking about… airports and airlines. Susan Kurosawa, of The Australian, outlined a raft of new luxury product and service offerings in airports and airport lounges, from Qantas, Cathay, Etihad, Singapore Airlines and airport brands themselves. What’s interesting here is the degree of personalisation. Writes, Kurosawa: “…even for those without lounge access, London Heathrow Terminal 5 has 15 personal shoppers to assist passengers with serious retail and duty-free therapy; the service must be booked a minimum of 48 hours in advance and the style gurus will tailor the shopping tour according to passenger wish lists. “Qantas has just announced a pairing with Neil Perry’s Rockpool group to introduce a team of wine experts and mixologists, under the banner of Rockpool Sommeliers, to select beverages for the airline’s lounges and domestic and international flights, and work with flight crew in an advanced Sommelier in the Sky training program.” Edmund Ingham, a contributor for Forbes.com, speaks of innovation in airports and malls, based on the personal data of shoppers: “…the next step is to use geo-location and data and mood analytics to identify customer’s needs as soon as, or even before, they become aware of them themselves,” with the, “launch of a digital platform with a dedicated smartphone app that allows you to shop before you even leave for the airport and have your goods waiting for you when you arrive. Or better still, save your legroom and do your shopping at the airport you are landing at. “The traveller gets choice and ease of use, the airports and retailers get additional sales revenue and useful actionable analytical data,” he said. “If you keep buying a certain type of product or spend a large amount of money on your airport shopping, retailers have the ability to tailor their messages (and personalised deals) to your preferences.” Personalisation is valued by young and old A report released by Vision Critical last week on loyalty360.org demonstrated dramatic differences between younger and older customer expectations. The report suggested: “Millennials place a high value on personalised promotions based on purchase history, access to alternative forms of payment, and companies that solicit direct customer feedback. Conversely, the most important services for customers 55 and older are free home delivery, instore assistance, call centre support, and a 30-day, no-questions-asked return policy.” The commonality here is personalisation. Older shoppers want a ‘real human being’ to talk to, that will call them by name and offer personalised assistance. Younger shoppers want personalised promotions and the opportunity to give feedback. When the rubber hits the road, people are still people. It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Qantas Loyalty In a landscape where detailed customer data is being mined by brands aiming for the Holy Grail of Personalised Experience, enter Red Planet, a new Qantas Loyalty business. The company offers brands access to insights and analytics on literally billions of customer records and transactions, as well as panels for ongoing and specific market research, and data-driven online targeting for customer communication. Red Planet’s executive manager, Vaughan Chandler, will be sharing the company’s vision at the upcoming POPAI Shopper Summit, at Doltone House Darling Island Wharf, Sydney on September 8. On the Red Planet website (redplanetgroup.com.au), it reads, “Talk to the one, not everyone. Digital marketing is now more personal and direct. We have the ability to provide an audience of relevant customers so you say the right thing to the right person at the right time.” And that pretty much sums it up. In 2015 and beyond, it’s the shopper who needs to be the most important brand in the room. Lee McClymont is GM of the ANZ Chapter of POPAI, the global industry body for Marketing at Retail and can be contacted on 0414 941 585.